Throw out the records when a rivalry game is being played. Bates and Colby will be more than happy to do so Saturday, when the 1-4 Mules host the 0-5 Bobcats.
Bates is coming off a 41-27 loss to Middlebury, while Colby won its first game of the season last week against Hamilton, 24-19.
With the opening game of the CBB rivalry next on the schedule, last week is in the past for the Bobcats.
“Having one of your huge rivals coming up is certainly a good way to put things in the rearview mirror,” Bates head coach Mark Harriman said. “This is always a huge game for us, and it’s one of the great things about having the CBB rivalry is that irregardless of what’s gone on thus far in the season you always have this great tradition to look forward to. So our guys are excited and ready to go.”
Harriman thought his team played “relatively well on both sides of the ball” last week against 4-1 Middlebury, but some big plays and failures to convert doomed the Bobcats. Still, Bates has shown improvement over the last couple weeks, according to Harriman.
The Bobcats had their best passing game (240 yards) and second-best rushing game (204) against Middlebury, showing the kind of balance that Harriman said his offense needs to win games.
Patrick Dugan threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers, but also had three interceptions. Frank Williams led the running game with 55 yards, while Mickoy Nichol had 47 and Ivan Reese 41.
On defense, Ben Coulibaly had two picks, while Brandon Williams had another to continue to his standout season on that side of the ball. The pair combined for 15 tackles.
The Bobcats will need a defense-wide contribution, according to Harriman, to stop Colby star runner Jabari Hurdle-Price.
“We got to just get a lot of bodies on him,” Harriman said of Hurdle-Price. “He’s obviously a very good running back and somebody that can make things happen if he’s 1-on-1 with people. So we got to do a great job at swarming the football.”
Hurdle-Price went for 103 yards rushing against Hamilton, as well as making three catches for 28 yards.
The Mules also feature former Leavitt Area High School player and Turner resident Clay Rowland on their roster as a defensive back.
Harriman said his team turned the page to Colby right after the Middlebury loss. Rivalries have a way of doing that to a team.
“I think our guys understand that we’ve had some opportunities to win some games, and it just didn’t work out for us,” Harriman said. “So far we’ve had a great week of practice, and if they go out and do the things we need to do on game day, then we have an opportunity to keep the CBB trophy down here at Bates.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com.
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